Sharpening device for razor blades



Feb. 3, 1959 W. OSTROWSKI SHARPENING DEVICE FOR RAZOR BLADES Original Filed Oct. 3, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

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Feb. 3, 1959 w. OSTROWSKI 2,871,628

SHARPENING DEVICE FOR RAZOR BLADES Original Filed Oct. 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 13 WAIJER OsTR owsKI United States Patent Substituted for application Serial No. 538,182, October 31:81:33. This application July 15, 1958, Serial No.

1 Claim. (Cl. 51- 153) This invention relates to a sharpening device for razor blades and, more particularly, has reference to a device including a flexible strop, on which is slidably. mounted a blade support means, so designed that when said means is reciprocated between opposite ends of the strop, a supported blade will be swung, at each extreme limit of the travel of the blade support means, to dispose the opposite surface of the blade in engagement with the strop. This is a substitute for my former application, filed on October 3, 1955, Serial Number 538,182, now abandoned.

The present invention is directed to a device of the nature referred to, especially adapted for supporting a blade of the shape shown in my simultaneously filed patent application.

The invention, described broadly, comprises a strop, and a frame disposed in overlying relation to and slidable between the opposite ends of the strop. Slidably mounted upon the frame is a slide element having at opposite sides thereof racks in mesh with sector gears, and connected between the sector gears is a blade support bar having means thereon to clamp the blade in a position in which the blade extends transversely of the strop, and (considering the blade in cross section) projects radially from the axis of rotation of the sector gears. Due to this arrangement, the blade is mounted for oscillating movement upon the frame, and is swung in oppositedirections by slidable movement or reciprocation of the slide element upon the frame.

The slide element is provided with handles, and the construction is such that when the assembly is shifted to one end of the strop by means of the handles, and reverse pressure is exerted on the handles for the purpose of shifting the assembly in an opposite direction, said pressure will initially result in slidable movement of the slide element upon the frame to swing the 'blade from a position in which one face thereof is in contact with the strop, to a position in which the opposite face is in contact with the strop surface. Continued application of pressure upon the handle, tending to impart return movement to the assembly, causes the entire assembly to be now adjusted longitudinally of the strop toward the opposite end thereof and thus it is seen during movement of the assembly in one direction, one face'of the blade is in contact with the strop, with the opposite face making contact when the assembly moves in the opposite direction.

The main object of the present invention may be appropriately considered to be the provision of a sharpening device which will automatically reverse the blade side for side, while the same is reciprocated upon the strop, thus to hone both faces of the blade to an equal extent.

A more specific object is to insure to the maximum the uniform sharpening or honing of both faces of the blade, from end to end thereof. To this end, the construction is such that the blade is in engagement with the strop surface to the same extent fro-m end to end of the blade, and further, is disposed in a plane obliquely related to the surface of the strop, so as to sharpen the cutting edge of the blade at a proper angle.

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Yet another object is to facilitate the attachment and detachment of theblade, while at the same time insuring that the blade will be fixedly secured to the oscillating means. i I

Still another object is to provide a sharpening device of the type referred to so designed as to permit its mounting upon a conventional strop without requiring any modification or redesign of the strop.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of-the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth;

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a sharpening device formed according to the present invention, in position upon a strop, said strop being partlybroken away.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device as seen from the right of Fig. 1, the dotted and full line showings of the device illustrating the same as it appears when moving in opposite directions.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the sharpening device in which only a portion of the strop is shown.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the strop, and of the sharpening device.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, the dotted lines showing the clamp screws in their blade releasing positions.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device constituting the present invention has been illustrated in position upon an elongated, wide strop it) having at its upper end a loop 12 by means of which the strop can be suspended from a hook, nail, or the like, not shown; At its other end, the strop has a handle portion 14 which is gripped in one hand of the user, to hold the strop in proper position during reciprocation of the device thereupon.

The device constituting the present invention comprises three main components, a frame 15, a slide element 16, and an oscillating blade support and clamping assembly 17, on which is mounted a blade 18 to be sharpened.

Considering first the construction of the frame 15, this includes a rectangular bottom plate 20, underlying the Y strop as shown in Fig. 3, and integrally formed along opposite side edges thereof with upwardly projecting side flanges 21 disposed in slidable engagement with the opposite longitudinal edges of the strop. Integral with and extending transversely of the strop between the ends of the flanges 21 are crossbars 22, spaced away from the bottom plate 20 a distance sufficient for a snug but slidable fit of the strop. between the crossbars and the bottom plate.

In this way, the frame is mounted for slidable movement upon the strop, and in this connection, is so proportioned as to not be slidable upon the strop with complete'freeness. Rather, the frame has a frictional engagement with the strop, which is such as to cause the frame to initially resist pressure exerted by a user tending to shift the frame upon the strop.

The opposite side edge portions of the bottom plate 20 project outwardly beyond the opposite longitudinal edges of the strop, to provide guide lips 24 extending longitudinally of the frame at opposite sides thereof, and extending fully from one to the other end of theframe.

'Inte'grally formed upon the midlength portions of the upstanding flanges 21 are bearing plates 25, thepurpotse of which will be presently made apparent.

The slide element, as shown in'Fig. 3 includes an 3 shaped plate 26 underlying the bottom plate 20 of the frame, the crossbar of the plate 26 being integrally formed with depending handles 28 which, as shown in Fig. 2, are adapted to be 'ripped by the hand of a user when the device is being shifted from end to end of the strop.

integrally formed upon the opposite side edges of the plate 26 are upwardly and inwardly turned guide flanges 30, receiving the lips 24, thus to slidably mount the element 16 upon the frame 15.

integrally formed upon the opposite sides of the slide element, medially between the opposite ends of said ele merit, are racks 32, the teeth of which are in mesh with sector gears 34 of the oscillating blade support assembly 17.

A shaft 36 is journalled at its opposite ends in the bearing plates 25, the ends of the shaft extending into and being fixedly secured to the respective sector gears, so as to connect the sector gears for conjoint rotation about a common axis extending transversely of the device.

Fixedly connected between the sector gears, and extending in parallel, spaced relation to theshaft 36, is a blade support bar 38, to the opposite ends of which are fixedly secured upwardly projecting lugs 40 having threaded openings in which are engaged clamping screws 42. The screws 42 are coaxially aligned, the common axis of the screws extending transversely of the blade assembly.

The blade 18 includes a body 44, the opposite faces of whichare preferably hollow ground as shown. The body, considered in crosssection, is of tapering formation, said body having a thickened back portion supported upon the bar 38.

At its opposite ends, the body 44 is formed with outwardly facing recesses 46, and said recesses are provided, on the bottom walls thereof, with longitudinal grooves 43 adapted to receive "co-nically tipped end portions of the screws 42.

In use of the device, the blade 44 is'positioned between the upwardly projecting lugs 40, with the thickened back edge surface thereof supported upon the bar 38. Then, the screws 42 are threaded inwardly from the dotted line positions thereof shown in .Fig. to their full line positions, and as shown in this figure of the drawings, the conical tips of the screws will ultimately bind within the grooves 43, the conical tips exerting a wedging action upon the blade tending to force the same against the bar 38.

The handles 28 are now grasped in a manner shown in Fig, 2, with the device at the upper end of the strop. When the handles are shifted in the direction of the arrow A shown in Fig. 2, due to the frictional engagement of the frame 15 with the strap surface the pressure on the handles, tending to shift the same in the direction of the arrow A, will first causethe slide element 16 to slide upon the frame to the full line position shown in Fig. 2. This causes rotation of the sector gears clockwise, viewing the same as in Fig. 2, and this swings the blade 18 in a clockwise direction to dispose one face thereof against the strop surface, with the blade being disposed obliquely to the plane of the strop.

As soon as the slide element reaches a position in which the blade 18 is swung into engagement with the strop surface, the continued pressure on the handles 28 in the direction of the arrow A will cause the entire assembly to be moved bodily in this direction, toward the lower end of the strop, thus sharpening one face of the blade.

When the device reaches the lower end of the strep, pressure is exerted on the handles tending to shift the same in the direction of the arrow B in Fig. 2, and again, the frictional engagement of the frame 15 with the strop surface will cause the slide element to now move toward the opposite end of the frame, that is upwardly in Fig. 2. This'rotates the sector gear counterclockwise in Fig. 2, so that the blade 18 is swung now to the dotted line position of Fig. 2, disposing the opposite face thereof in engagement with the strop surface. The continued application of pressure on the handles 28, tending to shift the same in the direction of the arrow B, will cause the device to move toward the upper end of the strop. Thus, the opposite face of the blade will now be sharpened.

The reciprocation of the device upon the strop is then continued, until the blade has been sharpened to the desired extent, and it will be seen that the sharpening of the blade is achieved with full uniformity, due to the disposition of the blade at-a prescribed angle to the plane of the strop, regardless of which face of the blade is in engagement with the strop and due further to the fact that both faces of the blade are uniformly sharpened from end to end thereof.

The device, further, can be mounted upon a conven tional strop, without modification or redesign of the strop, and still further, when the blade has been fully sharpened, it is removed from the device with speed and ease, merey by backing off the screws 42.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, :it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the .scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

A sharpening device for a razor blade comprising, in combination with a strop, a frame slidably mounted on said strop for reciprocation between spaced locations on the strap, a slide element slidablymounted on the frame and including a handle, a blade support assembly rockably mounted on the frame, said assembly being adapted to dispose a supported blade .in faceto face contact with the strop, and means for rocking the 'blade support assembly responsive .to sliding of said element upon the frame, said frame frictionally engaging the strop whereby to rock the blade support assembly for changing the blade face incontact with the strop .at opposite extreme limits of the travel of the frame, said :means comprising a rack carried by the slide element and sector gears mes ing with .thewrack, said bladezsupport assembly being secured to and extending between the respective sector gears, the blade assembly including a blade support .bar fixedly connected at oppositeends to the respective sector gears and extending in spaced parallel relation to the axis of rotation of the gears, to oscillate about said axis responsive to sliding movement of the slide element upon the frame, said bar being adapted'to support a blade having end recesses in a position in which .said blade extends radially of the axis of rotation of the sector gears, said blade having end recesses, said assemblyfurther including means carried by the bar for clampably engaging the blade, comprising lugs projecting outwardly from the bar at opposite ends thereof and screws threadedly engaged in said lugs and extendable into engagement with the walls of the recesses in the opposite end portion of the blade, the .screws having wedge-like tips adapted to bias the blade into binding engagement with the bar.

References Cited in the file of this'patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 950,872 Silberstein Mar. '1, 1910 1,214,034 Hoffmann Jan. 30, 1917 1,651,781 Sprague Dec. 6, 1927 1,712,452 Gaisman 'et al. May 7, 1929 1,727,167 Gaisman Sept. 2, .1929 1,739,167 Muller Dec. 10, 1929 2,034,239 Klopfenstein-et al Mar. 17, 1936 2,052,508 Whitman Aug. 25, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 432,843 Italy Mar. 25, 1948 

